After becoming a big hit with its Issue #0 in March, Image Comics has announced that Hoax Hunters will be an ongoing series beginning this July. The book is a witty horror-comedy that follows a group of reality-TV paranormal investigators as they set out to explore - and debunk - paranormal activity around the world. But there's a catch: The team is actually setting out to cover up real phenomena.

The official word from Image:

In HOAX HUNTERS, the new Image Comics series co-created and written by Steve Seeley and Michael Moreci and drawn by Axel Medellin (ELEPHANTMEN), a team of intrepid investigators travel the world to debunk the paranormal for a reality show. Aliens, cryptids, monsters — all are uncovered and dismissed as hoaxes for the pleasure of the viewing public.

Except nothing on “Hoax Hunters” is actually a hoax — save for the TV show itself. In reality, every strange sighting, every inexplicable creature, every impossible event is real, and it’s the Hoax Hunters team’s job to keep them under wraps.

HOAX HUNTERS first appeared serially in issues of Tim Seeley’s Image series HACK/SLASH. A collection of those serials, HOAX HUNTERS #0, was published in March, and the title has been extended as an ongoing series. HOAX HUNTERS #1, which features a cover by Tim Seeley, will be in stores on July 5.

The format of HOAX HUNTERS has allowed creators Moreci and Seeley to delve into developing their story, settings, and characters.

“Thanks to having an ongoing series, Mike and I have been able to expand upon the already vast world of Hoax Hunters,” said Seeley. “Issue one and the arc that follows promises to be fun and epic ride.”

“Steve and I are having fun—we’re writing the comic we’d love to read,” added Moreci. “It has a little bit of humor, suspense, and brain candy. The story blends genres, histories, and folklore into something unique and unusual. If we achieve that month in and month out, we’ll feel like we’re doing our job.”

HOAX HUNTERS #1 (MAY120521), a full-color comic for $2.99, is available for pre-order now from the May issue of Previews and will be available on digital platforms the same day as it is in stores.